How To Live Your Best Life On A Budget

There is no time like the present to do everything you have always dreamed of, whilst feeling like a superstar. Here are some tips for how you can live your best life without going broke.

Budgeting. The worst word in the English language. As a recent graduate starting a Masters course shortly, budgeting has become even more essential than before. Over the past five years, I have spent ridiculous amounts of money on rent, bills, clothes, food, holidays, everything really. Had I started saving earlier, I would be in a much better position. Luckily, my dad’s nagging and desire to splash the cash on the summer of a lifetime encouraged me to start saving from last year. Now I have something called savings!

Money goes as fast as time, and trust me when I say it is not fun having your bank card rejected in front of a queue of people. It's sad, really sad. I learnt the hard way that I have to control my spending and build my savings, so I am sharing this lesson with you. Be smart with your money but have fun. Live your best life and if money helps you do that (it definitely helps me), splash the cash occasionally. In other words, you can do whatever will make you happy, regardless of your bank balance.

So, what is happiness? It means something different to everyone. To me, it is spending time with my friends and family and having the freedom to do what I want, when I want. It is the real meaning of life; a miserable life is arguably pointless. The way I see it, you only have one life so grab it by the horns and LIVE it! I have a list of everything I want to do in my life and I have already done a good percentage of it. All I need is more time and money to do the rest.

Here are my top tips for living the life of your dreams in reality:

1 – Say yes.

Life presents you with so many opportunities, many of which you face the dilemmas of, "Can I afford it?" "What if...," "Have I got the time?" etc. You subconsciously create so many excuses and reasons to say no, when sometimes you should take a chance and just say yes. Who knows what could come out of saying one simple word or clicking one simple button? You might have the experience of a lifetime! There are obviously exceptions (do not put yourself in danger of course) but you are your own worst enemy at times. You hold yourself back because you are scared to take a risk.

For example, many people say they want to go on holiday but they cannot afford it. Honestly, holidays are not that expensive depending on where you go. There are always deals and travel hacks to save you money. You can go on a 4-star 3 night holiday to Spain for under £300pp, including insurance. On the flip side, you could go to Barbados for 7 nights for the grand price of £1000pp, but you will likely have a beautiful week of uninterrupted paradise. See, it's not so bad!

So, instead of holding yourself back by assuming you cannot afford it, book a holiday six months in advance then make changes to your budget; spend less money or earn more money. Be realistic with what you can afford with your budget and make the necessary compromises. For inspiration, I went to Barcelona, New York, Miami, Nice, and Cannes this summer. I had around £1000 in my savings account and worked extra hours to make up the difference because I wanted to have the summer of a lifetime. I also sold a lot of clothes on eBay for spending money. The summer was amazing and I'm glad I ignored the voice in my head saying "you're crazy, you can't afford this! Don't sell your clothes for the impossible!"

Like Nike says, "Just do it."

2 - Turn stress and sadness into productivity.

Stress is a killer. Other than the fact it can make you ill and gain weight, it holds you back from living your best life. It worries you, occupies your mind, and distracts you from other things going on. One way to overcome stress is by making a change that produces a happy result. Think about the root of what is stressing or upsetting you and possible solutions. Is it money? Brainstorm ways to earn more or cut back on what you are spending. Is it a person? Talk to them and tell them how you feel or cut them out of your life. Is it yourself? Adapt a new habit or change something you currently do.

However, I understand it is not always as easy at that. There are some things that are much harder to stop stressing about because it feels like you have no control over it, such as struggling to get a job or finding "the one." Instead of focusing on what you don't have, focus on what you can do to get what you want and what you do have. Learn a new skill or develop those you already have. Meet new people at networking events or parties, or in the park. Do something new, maybe something you've always wanted to do. Sometimes it's as simple as asking for help or confiding in someone; they can be the comfort or revelation you need. You can also distract yourself by doing the things that make you happy that you have control over, such as hanging out with friends or playing games.

The number one rule is do not feel sorry for yourself! Everything will get better in time if you let it. Life is undoubtedly hard, there will always be something testing you but be open to change and stay patient. It's hard but optimism will get you through the dark days.

3 - Forget fear.

Fear is a threat, something designed to hold you back. If the threat is real (and you will know), avoid it and stay safe, but if fear is holding you back from doing something you want to do, do it. Skydive if your heart desires, ask your neighbour on a date, dye your hair rainbow colours. Don't overthink it because that adds to the fear and will stop you from doing it. It does not matter what anyone else thinks, you can bounce back from almost anything, so don't let fear hold you back from living. Facing your fears is one of the best things to make you feel great about yourself. There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it (except cheat death). As Kelly Clarkson says, what does not kill you makes you stronger.

Forget bills, bills, bills, I am giving out tips, tips, tips (sorry, I could not resist!). Check out the other six tips in the rest of this article on my Vocal page: https://lifehack.media/how-to-live-your-best-life-on-a-budget 

TTFN

Shanice x